Taylor Guitars 410-CE

Made in the USA, Sitka Spruce top, African Ovankgol back and sides. Fishman Prefix Plus Preamp (a big improvement from the standard prefix offered on the 2000 edition...love the brilliance control)
Maybe a gloss finish, though more expensive, would be nice, though satin does help bring out the beautiful grain in the ovankgol

It has a full rich sound, typical of taylor dreadnoughts, and for my style (strumming and flatpicking) it works wonderfully. fingerpicking does allright, but if i was a true fingerpicker i would go with a x14 series (prob the 414) The low end is stronger than the high, but overall the balance is better than most ive played. Volume and projection are both fantastic

Factory setup was great. Always nice to play a guitar in the store with elixirs rather than grimy SPs or Daddarios. Action was great- easiest playing guitar i picked up (among about 10 stores in the LA and san diego area). I love the variation in the ovankgol finish (ranging from a mahogony-esque brown to a more olive formica look) so you can really go for one that you like and that is unique. Once again, as others have noted, im a little apprehensive about the long term performance of the satin, but for now, i couldnt be happier

I havent had it long enough to give a completely accurate review in this category, but as it seems so far, its a dependable piece with solid electronics (they are fishman, i mean...come on...honestly). Id take it without a backup, i trust good ol Bob and the other fine folks in El Cajon, CA

Ive never dealt with taylor regarding this guitar, but i took a factory tour, and have spoken with several employees about hypotheticals (what if i need the neck adjusted, what if i want to refinish it) they said i could walk it right in to the factory if i wanted to. thats good enough for me

I spent a solid month going to literally every guitar store in san diego, Los angeles, and everywhere in between, and i honestly dont think there is a better guitar in its price range. I preferred Taylors in general to all other high end manufacturers, and the 410 to me felt to be the best sounding out of the 300 and 500 series, and a much better value than the 700 series. The only other ones i enjoyed playing as much as the 410CE were the 810 and 910 CEs, but for half the price, i think the 410 holds its own. If it was stolen, id have to hope for a favorable insurance settlement, or work alot, or even search couch cushions and turn in aluminum cans to save up the 1200 to buy another one. its worth every penny.

1999-All solid wood, Ovangkol/Spruce, With a Fishman Prefix. Standard glossy top, satin back and sides.The ebony fingerboard on this example has a white steak running through it vertically and specks on the bridge, but in my opinion gives the guitar character. The spruce top has alot of bearclaw, swirls and streaks. While some don't care for this I think it lends to the tone. The ovangkol on this guitar is darker than the other six 410's the dealer had and this one stands out in the tone department.(it was stashed by an employee for 2 years) Taylor has also managed to stain the neck to perfectly to match the darker than normal body. Most 400s I have looked at have the more common olive looking Ovangkol. With lighter necks. This wood almost resembles Mahoghany in color and grain, very straight lines close together and so dark in color, but is indeed Ovangkol It also seemed to be a bit lighter in construction, than the others.

Suits my style, It is very versatile in tone....I don't play blugrass but prefer the resonance of a dreadnaught, I do flatpick a bit, but like to play meldoic fingerstyle too, with a lot of percussive snaping and strumming. It also lends itself to the voice better. And very balanced for a dreadnaught! Single string s up the neck just jump out! Ovangkol may be the perfect guitar wood...I have a Martin D-28 and it gets lost sometimes in the mix. The Martin is not as sparkly and has an over abundance of overtones(say that fast three times) And is a bit hard to record sometimes. This 410ce cuts through and definetly records better. It as they, say seems to fall between rosewood and mahogany. Records very well, with less overtones and lots of sparkle and sustain (but not too much)It sounds really nice in the muted slap style string pull technique ie: Martin Simpson! Electronics work flawlessly, but I am going to upgrade to the Fishman Prefix/Blender, to get a bit more acoustic tone? It is the same size and will bolt right in.

While the top on this guitar has alot of swirls and steaks(bearclaw). Some don't like this and prefer straight grains. I feel it adds to the tone, what is lost in looks.(and adds character).While astetically unperfect, the top seems to be fairly stiff and as I mentioned before this one seems to be built lighter, than the other 410ce's the dealer had? But who knows, I would guess Taylor keeps all woods the same thickness? It was very noticable when comparing the other 410's. The tonal colors of this guitar also stand out.
THE CRAFTMANSHIP OF THIS GUITAR WAS ABSOLUTELY FLAWLESS IN EVERY ASPECT !!!

We will see...not sure if I like the satin back and sides yet, it seems to hide some of the woods beauty

Taylor Guitars are probably one of the most customer oriented bussinesses on the planet. They have always done there best for me in the past!

I give this guitar a top score. It is a great example in every way, of what an acoustic guitar should be...I did upgrade to an Ameritage "Silver" case (black traditional covering), because I am not fond of the thermoplastic cases that come OEM. By the way the Ameritage cases are awesome!!

solid spruce top w/satin finish, ebony fret board, Fishman pickup and prefix preamp, grover tuners

When I bought the guitar I fell in love with the playability and mostly the sound.... was very happy with the bass response. the guitar is beautiful for finger picking style, solo folk and other acoustic music styles. this is not an optimal guiar for an electric band environment however.After owning the guitar for a few years and playing it in a number of performance environments, I believe the sound is a bit thin--not enough mid-range. Though Fishman is known for excellent acoustic pickups, the prefix it a pretty WEAK pickup--natural sound reproduction is only fair and the pre-amp has too little boost.

The factory set up was great. the action is great. the guitar is beautiful and gets more beautiful with time. Over the 4 years i've owned the guitar, it has gained a richer golden color. The satin finish is nice, but buffs into a shine where your strumming hand rubs. The end pin/connector jack loosens too easily and has popped out once completely.

The 410 is extremely temperamental and sensitive. Because of the light finish, it is extremely prone to dehydration, especially if you live in areas with cold winters and dry heating. I once opened my guitar case before a gig to find the bridge had unglued from the body of the guitar. Luckily for me, only the glue stops had come undone. It dings up like crazy. This means that you need to constantly care for it and monitor the humidity. I would not bring it to a gig without a backup. Actually, I use this guitar as a backup nowadays, prefering my Takamine 360 which is far more powerful and effective in a rock environment. If I ever buy another taylor, I'll buy one without the electronics. It is a great home guitar, but not meant for the rock stage.

awesome lifetime warranty and support.

I've been playing acoustic guitars for 12 years, playing out for 9. my other acoustic guitars are a '70s epiphone acoustic with a tobacco sunburst and a takamine 360-SC. The Taylor was appealing, because it is a finely crafted "real" guitar made in the USA that is priced much more modestly than Martins. I would NOT buy the same guitar again, however. I would spend the extra $500 and get a decent Martin, guitars that I find to by much richer, louder, and more balanced than the Taylors

Same features as in all the other reviews.

I played every guitar in a large shop (maybe 30 guitars, including Martins, Guilds, Larivees, Ovations, etc.). This one stood out. I actually had fallen in love with a 414CE. But when I went back to buy it, there was this right-off-the-truck 410CE still in its case on the floor. It sounded much deeper, fuller, and louder to me. I had also played several MUCH more expensive Taylors, and the only difference I could tell from the 400's is that they looked fancier. This guitar makes me happy every time I play it. It just sounds incredibly beautiful. And, oddly enough, it smells really good, too.

Plays wonderfully, but sound is what's important to me. I probably would have bought this guitar even if it didn't play like a dream. The neck is a bit wider than the Ovation I was used to, and I've grown to like it better. It seems much easier to play, but if you have really small hands it might cause a problem. The guitar was perfectly in tune and intonation and the action was perfect right out of the case. I haven't touched a thing except change the strings.

I baby it, so I wouldn't know.

I appreciate that it came with an excellent warrantee, a superb hard shell case, and (did I say this already?) that it sounds to wonderful. I wouldn't think of buying another acoustic guitar.

I'm not sure what year this was made, as it was purchased very gently used. It's a solid spruce top with mahogany back and sides. The guitar came equipped with a Fishman Prefix transducer and preamp. Satin finish with a soft cutaway, and came with a hardshell SKB style case. It has the pinless bridge, which I really like. Not a lot of features, it's an acoustic/electric dreadnought, what do you expect?

This is where the guitar really shines. The sound is deep, rich, and full. I play mostly with a flatpick, and it does a nice job, although it practically begs to be fingerpicked. I've played a variety of styles with this guitar, including acoustic rock, country, bluegrass, gospel, etc. It's a real workman, never complains, just outshines all the other acoustics around. I play a lot with a friend who has an Ovation with the OP24 system, and the Fishman can't quite keep up. Unplugged, this blows the Ovation away, plugged in, it's still very, very good, just not quite as awesome. Unplugged, I give the sound a 10, and plugged in an 8. If you're buying this to play in a electric environment, you might look into the blender system.

The action, setup, and playability were great when I got this guitar. The only complaint I've ever had is the end pin/connector jack. This worked it's way loose, and was a real bear to get in and tighten up. I finally used some lock nut spray on it, which seemed to work, that is, I haven't had that problem since. I haven't yet figured out how I'm going to replace the connector jack, should it ever go bad.

This guitar has withstood weekly gigging for about a year. The finish is more durable than it first appears, but like any guitar, will ding up in a live environment. The guitar should be good for a very long time, given some care.

No opinion, never dealt with them.

I've been playing about 15 years, only seriously the past two. I have a couple of nice electrics, a bass, a Tech 21 TM 60 amp, some effects. I reviewing what I've written above, I feel a little too critical. This is the only guitar I've ever had that just worked exactly right. I am not at all interested in selling it, and if something happened to it, I would have to buy another one, after a suitable mourning period. I might look at a Larivee, and the 615 Taylors are tempting, but this is the real deal. Just the most satisfying guitar I've ever had or used.

This is 1998 model 410ce made in El Cajon, California. It has a solid Sitka spruce top and Ovankgol sides and back. The Ovankgol has a density close to that of Rosewood so it produces a similar sound. It has a cool looking soft cut-a-way for those upper frets. The top is a gloss while the sides and back are a satin finish. Ebony fretboard and pin bridge and chrome plated Grover tuners. The onboard electronics are Fishman Prefix with a piezo pick-up. It has that great Taylor thin neck that is just perfect when you're starting out. Also included was a Taylor SKB hardshell case.
I started playing 6 months ago and 3 months later I knew I was hooked for life. I decided to invest (in my terms) a good amount of money into a quality guitar.
The guy who is giving me lessons plays a Martin HD-28, so my expectations for sound were high. I had the following prerequisites: solid wood througuout, factory installed pick-up, American made, grat sound. The Taylor was the obvious choice.

The guitar sounds GREAT. I mostly just strum now, but I am in the process of learning to fingerpick. The guitar seems like a perfect balance to accomodate both playing styles. It sounds great plugged or unplugged, although it may lack a little of the low end when not plugged in. Most of the compliments I get on the sound are when it's unplugged, so what do I know? The guitar sounded great the day I brought it home and I expect it to sound even better the more it ages.

The guitar came setup perfectly and the action was just right. The wood was perfect and the craftmanship made for a remarkable looking guitar.

I play once a week at my church so it has undergone being packed up, played and packed again for the last six months. It has performed flawlessly every time and I don't expect it to quit anytime soon. The finish seems to be very durable and makes it look very nice on stage, too.

I haven't had to deal with Taylor, but if they are as nice as the authorized dealer from whom I bought the guitar, that should not be a concern. Lifetime warranty is included.

If someone stole my guitar I would, after hunting them down, go to the nearest guitar store and buy another just like it. It has everything I wanted in a guitar, so that would be an easy decision.
I have only been playing six months now but in my search I played everything they had to offer from Martin to Lowden, Larivee to Collings and everything in between... twice! The Taylor had the right mix of quality craftmanship, features and a Heavenly sound that made it a no-brainer.

The guitar was made in 1998. USA made. Ovangkol wood for back and sides with a spruce top. Satin finish. Fishman prefix and preamp ( 3 EQ band with volume and frequency controls). Piezo pickup. Grover tuners. Thin neck with great action!

Many times my wife has commented, a whole story away, that the guitar is very loud...when it was unplugged. My take on the sound? It sings. I have played high end Gibson and Martin dreadnoughts passed down a couple of generations that don't sound as sweet as my new Taylor. I meet and play with quite a variety of people from all sorts of musical backgrounds, everyone goes out of their way to comment on what a good sound my guitar has.

The action could not be better. Wonderfully bookmatched with the all the subtle nuances of the wood being pronounced in the satin finish.

Very reliable thus far!

Taylor has a website. No customer support Email listed to date. I have not had to call, I honestly would be surprised if I ever had to call concerning problems with this guitar.

I am 30 years old and I have been playing for about 15 years. I have owned high end electric guitars from virtually every major manufacurer. I have even built a guitar. I did not really enjoy playing acoustic guitar until I picked up this guitar. My electrics now are wonderful dust collectors. I would not trade this guitar for anything. For my taste and my style, this guitar is ideal. In my humble opinion this is the best acoustic electric dreadnought in this price range. Play one, buy one, take it home. You won't be sorry.

I believe the guitar was made in late 1996. I'm not really sure of the exact manufacturing date.
Features: Solid Spruce top. Mahogany back and sides. Ebony fretboard and bridge. Satin finish. Fishman electronics, with a three band eq, a volume nob, and a "frequency" slider. Grover tuners. Slim neck. Came with an SKB case, with the Taylor logo emblazoned on top.
No documentation/owner's manual included.

I had been pretty set on buying a Martin D2R or DM, primarily because I do a lot of strumming. And to be honest, I feel the 410CE could benefit from just a little more low end when you're unplugged. Even so, I'm very satisfied with the way the 410CE sounds. It's a very well balanced guitar.
I don't have a very fancy setup. I run a 10' Hi-Z (1/4") cable to my direct box (I think it's a DOD direct box [?]) The XLR feeds into a Horizons snake, which feeds into a Peavey mixer. No monitors or effects (yet) I'm looking into buying a reverb or a chorus pedal.
Like I said, I play a lot of rhythm guitar...lots o' strumming. Sometimes I do some fingerpicking or soloing. It seems to do well with whatever I throw at it. Alternate tunings work pretty well, too - I sometimes get a some fret buzz if I play really had with a lower tuning, but I imagine a good setup job might fix that.

The setup was great, right out of the box. I haven't felt a pressing need to get it set up by a pro because it feels and sounds great as it is. The action is nice and low all along the fretboard.
The fit and finish are excellent. Everything is tight and clean. Almost every time I play my Taylor, I have to hold it up, turn it around, and admire its beauty. The wood on the sides, back, and neck are rich and well-textured. The top could be a little cleaner; two or three areas of the top have a grain that isn't consistent with the rest of the top. The fretboard is jet-black - no streaks or discolorations. The insides are equally well-done.
I read the other critique of the 410CE (the one by the guy from Singapore). I have never encountered any problems with the internal wiring of the 410CE. I agree with him that the setup of the wiring could be problematic, but I think the problem of the wiring coming loose could be avoided by 1) opening it as infrequently as possible and 2) opening it slowly, gently, and only as far as it needs to be opened.

I've been using the 410CE for a year now in live settings, once or twice a week. This guitar is a real performer and very sturdy; the hardware is still as good as the day I bought it.
My only gripe is that the satin finish seems to dent and chip too easily (but if you're very careful, you can avoid dings.) For example, after one gig, I noticed that a rather substantial chip of wood had come off nearby the soundhole, just about the pick guard. I don't recall going ballistic on the strumming, and I think the thin, satin finish is to blame for that ding. I had an old Yamaha for years that I strummed pretty had and never got a ding like that.
At any rate, the guitar is very durable and dependable. You just have to handle it carefully since the finish isding-prone.

I've only contacted Taylor once. The guitar didn't come with any documentation, and at the time, I somewhat inexperienced with the facts of guitar maintenance. I wanted to learn more about how to take good care of the guitar. I was worried about issues like restringing, humidity, cleaning, etc. So I wrote to them and complained about the lack of any sort of owners manual.
In reply, Taylor sent me a THICK packet of articles that they had written about guitar maintenance, and a nice letter explaining that they were working on a manual to be included with every guitar. Needless to say, I was very satisfied.
I can't honestly evaluate their service in the long run or for more complicated problems, but if this incident is any indication of the quality of their service, then I'd say it's top-notch.

"Fantastic value" is indeed the term to use. All I really can, and want, to say is that I love my guitar and have had absolutely no regrets in buying it. I think it's probably the best money I've every spent.

Made in USA, in late 1996. It's a dreadnought with 20 Frets, with a Sitka solid spruce top, mahogany sides and back (solid), satin finish with chrome Grover tuners. The pickup is a Fishman Axis with volume control, tone control and EQ. Satin finish. It came with a hard case (fiberglass).

My style is primarily light strumming and fingerpicking for Christian contemporary stuff, plus occasional heavy strumming for the fast stuff. I string the guitar with 0.10 strings.
I use it primarily plugged into the church sound system (Celestion) with a Peavey Keyboard amp as a monitor. There's usually feedback problems with the monitor speaker at higher volume settings (if the PA guys don't turn up I go through the monitor). Otherwise, the sound comes through clear, with good tonal separation. Since I use a keyboard amp I usually have to turn down the middle by two notches and the bass by one, and if so the guitar shines.
The guitar sounds best with very heavy strumming, or simple fingerpicking playing triplets to accompany a piano. It's got a bright clear tone, which tends to cut through the bass and drums if I'm playing rhythm, or supports the piano well if I'm fingerpicking.

The guitar has the trademark Taylor action (real low) and the higher registers are easily accessible. Since it was Singapore, the guitar drank a bit of humidity in the first few days, but a loosening of the truss rod fixed that. I've never had to adjust it since.
I've not had problems with the pickup, and no damage was detected to the guitar in any respect. Very well made, and survived the trip well.

This dreadnought was bought in Singapore and I've had it for 1 1/2 years and never regretted buying it.

Even though Singapore is a humid environment I've had no problems with warping (with liberal use of silica gel and protection in an airconditioned environment).
In the church environment I'm live every week, so I don't have problems with live playing. I've also used it once in a very loud and hard concert, and it came through without a scratch. My friends and I usually damage acoustic guitars because of belt buckles getting in the way, but the Taylor survived.
The strap buttons are fixed very solidly, I've had to yank off the strap once very quickly and the button didn't budge.
However, and this is the weak link in the guitar - the Fishman pickup controls are mounted so that the whole assembly revolves on an axis (hence Fishman Axis). This is good for battery access, but poor in that the wires running from the jack input to the controls extend and contract every time you open the controls to get at the battery. Believe it or not, the solder joining the wires to the EQ tore, and the pickup just died on me. I didn't even know what was wrong for a few weeks until I decided to unscrew the whole assembly and take a look. It took hours to access the controls (there are two plates which are joined with different screws), and then I saw one wire had torn loose. So I had to solder the thing back.
Still, it sounds fine again, and I don't open the controls often now.
The 6 rating reflects the problems with the pickup; otherwise it's an 8.

No comment. There's no Taylor warranty outside the USA. The shop where I bought the guitar is the sole Taylor agent, and he said that he'll do what he can to fix problems with the guitar. The after sales service from the shop is excellent, but, still, I wish Taylor would reconsider their position on this.

I also own a Takamine EG-15C, and have played a low end Maton and the Ovation Celebrity and Adamas. The Taylor outstrips them all for ease of playing and is probably rivaled only by the Adamas for sound quality.
I wish I knew about the problems with the amp before I bought it. Having said that, however, for the price I paid I don't think I would have any problems paying the same again for it.